Iranian athletes and national team members, both women and men, have increasingly voiced their support for the ongoing popular protests, which have now taken on the clear character of a national revolution calling for fundamental political change in Iran.

Across social media and public platforms, prominent figures from the sporting world have published numerous statements openly backing the movement. Most of these messages explicitly support the uprising and express endorsement of Reza Pahlavi, the former crown prince, who is increasingly seen by Iranians as the political figurehead of this nationwide push for regime change.

Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iranian sport entered a trajectory that increasingly diverged from prevailing international norms. Following the rise to power of Ayatollah Khomeini and the establishment of the Islamic Republic, sport became closely aligned with the state’s ideological framework. During this period, the international sporting community, including the International Olympic Committee, largely maintained engagement with Iran, a stance critics have described as amounting to accommodation of the new political order.

Iran boycotted two Olympic Games, Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984. In subsequent decades, it returned to Olympic participation under a system that required ideological screening of athletes, imposed restrictions on women, and permitted Iranian teams to compete internationally under symbols associated with the ruling establishment. This approach has been shaped by two longstanding policies: the requirement for female athletes to observe compulsory hijab and the refusal to compete against Israeli athletes.

Compulsory hijab

Islamic dress has no roots in Iranian cultural tradition, nor has it reflected the wishes of most Iranian women. Before the rise of the clerical establishment, Iran’s female athletes were among the most progressive in the region and enjoyed broad social freedoms. The imposition of compulsory hijab therefore represented a major departure from previous practice.

Opposition to mandatory veiling has persisted, even as the International Olympic Committee and international sports federations have largely refrained from addressing the conditions faced by Iranian sportswomen. Women’s teams have excluded athletes who refused to comply with compulsory dress codes. State television has avoided live broadcasts of women’s sport, and stadiums hosting women’s competitions have often remained closed to male spectators.

Iranian female athletes cannot be considered equal to their male counterparts while they remain barred from international competition in multiple sports. For more than four decades, women in Iran have been prohibited from competing internationally in at least eight disciplines, including diving, swimming, cycling, boxing, wrestling, equestrian sports, judo, jiu-jitsu, and bodybuilding, covering both Olympic and non-Olympic events.

These restrictions have persisted since 1979, preventing Iranian women from participating on the global stage and drawing little sustained attention from the International Olympic Committee and international federations.

Masoud Zadparvar

Athletes stand with Iran’s protesters

Masoud Zadparvar, a bodybuilding champion, was killed on January 8 after being shot by regime forces in the street. In a message posted earlier on his Instagram account, he had written: “I am in the streets. I am not afraid. I have come to claim my rights.”

Protests across Iran have entered their third week, growing far larger than the earlier demonstrations following the death of Mahsa Amini, and spreading through both small towns and major cities. Many protesters have increasingly cited Reza Pahlavi as a potential alternative to the Islamic regime. The son of the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Reza Pahlavi has called for a parliamentary, secular system that empowers citizens. His message has resonated widely, particularly among younger Iranians, earning him broad support among demonstrators.

In the past 48 hours, Iranian authorities have completely shut down the country’s internet and telecommunications networks, limiting citizens’ ability to communicate within the country or with the outside world. Historical patterns suggest that such measures are often followed by violent crackdowns on protesters.During this period, many Iranian athletes, both inside and outside the country, have spoken out in support of the demonstrations, seeking to draw attention from the world sporting community.

Salih Foroutan, a member of Iran’s national basketball team, wrote on Instagram: “There is a shotgun in your hands. You show no mercy. How can anyone trust you and allow access to nuclear energy?”

Hashmat Mohajerani, former head coach of the Iranian national football team, posted on social media: “I stand with the brave people of Iran.”

Saeid Mollaei, an Iranian silver Olympic judo medalist who competed under the Mongolian flag at the Tokyo Olympics, shared a video on Instagram endorsing the protests. He said: “As a small champion from the sporting community, I want to remind everyone that on January 8–9, we should not submit ourselves to the corrupt Islamic Republic.” These dates correspond to the first nationwide call for protest announced by Reza Pahlavi.

Kimia Alizadeh, the first Iranian woman to win an Olympic medal and a former member of Iran’s national taekwondo team, reacted to the millions of people responding to Reza Pahlavi’s call for protest. On Instagram, she wrote: “Did you see? Everyone came. Iran came. Long live Iran and the Iranian people.”

Mehdi Mahdavikia, former captain of Iran’s national football team, responded to the regime’s complete internet shutdown, calling on the international community to act. He wrote: “When the internet goes dark, human rights go dark too.”

Alireza Nejati, former member of Iran’s national Greco-Roman wrestling team and a bronze medalist at the World Championships, also posted in support of the nationwide protests against the Islamic Republic. He wrote: “We have come to fight, not to survive, but to refuse to live in humiliation.”

Mitra Hejazipour, a chess coach who was removed from Iran’s national team for opposing compulsory hijab, shared a video of the massive turnout during the January 8 protests following Reza Pahlavi’s call. The video included the caption: “It feels like a dream. This is Tehran.”

Rahman Ahmadi, former goalkeeper of Iran’s national football team, described the attack by security forces on protesters at a hospital as a war crime. In an Instagram story, Ahmadi wrote: “They are attacking a hospital, which is considered a war crime everywhere in the world.”

Majid Fallah, a former member of Iran’s national kickboxing team, posted a video on Instagram expressing support for the protesters and calling for political regime change in Iran.

Protesters seeking a regime change in Iran

Several prominent athletes have publicly expressed support for the ongoing protests in Iran. Among them are Reza Soleimani, former member of Iran’s national water polo team; Ali Karimi, former Bayern Munich player and former member of Iran’s national football team; Voria Ghafouri, former captain of Iran’s national football team; Zahra Khajavi, goalkeeper for Iran’s women’s national football team; Komeil Ghasemi, 2012 Olympic wrestling gold medalist; Reza Azizi, world student karate champion; Masoud Shojaei, former captain of Iran’s national football team; Rouhollah Esfandiari, Asian karate gold medalist; Abtin Shekarabi, Iranian bodybuilding coach; Carlos Queiroz, former coach of Iran’s national football team; Mehdi Taremi, forward for Olympiacos in Greece; and Chans Hershko, head coach of Israel’s national judo team.